Praying while sick

Thursday Halaqa Notes

9/19/13

Sr. Um Iyad

Praying while Sick

First, some reminders on the rewards and importance of Salat:

• The 5 prayers and Jum3ah prayer removes the major sins. Abu Hurraira narrated that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “The five daily prayers, and from one Jummah to the next, are an expiation for whatever sins come in between, so long as one does not commit any major sin.” (Muslim) 

• On the Day of Judgement, the angels will know the ones who used to pray by a dot on their forehead - because the fire will not touch the point of sujud. The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “When Allah intends to have mercy on whomsoever he wishes of the people of the Fire, He will order the angels to bring out whoever used to worship Allah; so they will bring them out, recognizing them from the marks of sujood, for Allah has prohibited the Fire from devouring the marks of sujood. Thus, they will be brought out from the Fire, for the Fire devours all of a son of Adam except the marks of sujood.  (Bukhari and Muslim)

How to pray when you are sick:

• Wudu: 
• If you can’t get up to make wudu, ask someone to bring you water and help you make wudu. 
• If not, bring dry dirt or a stone from outside, and make tayammum. 
• If you can’t make tayammum, then just pray. 

• Prayer: 
• If you can’t stand, sit: - For ruku’ you put your head down a little, for sujud you put your head down lower. When you do this keep your hands on your knees (don’t move your hands up in the air).
• If can’t sit, lie down: put your legs in the direction of the qibla.

• Combining the Prayers:
• Sick people can join Duhr & Asr, Maghrib and Isha. But not qasr shortening. Qasr is only allowed during travel. 

• Making the Iqama:
• For men, they have to say the iqama before each salat. Women don’t have to say the iqama, but can if they want.

Other tips on Salat:

• When to raise the arms during prayer:  before  you go into ruku’, after you come up from ruku’, and when you stand up to start the 3rd rak’ah. 
• The position of the finger during tashahhud: with your middle finger and thumb, make a circle then raise the pointer finger. Keep it raised until you finish the tashahhud. 
• Position of the hands when you stand during qiyam: place your hands on your chest (above the belly button), with your right hand around your left wrist.  
• When it comes to Salat, follow the hadiths on salat - not the math-habs. Because sometimes the Imam hadn’t yet received a hadith, or it reached one but not the other, etc.